Melissa Saenz Gordon

Portfolio

de Melissa Saenz Gordon (Etats-Unis)

« Bed-Stuy, the place where my head rests,” says Christopher Wallace in the song Machine Gun Funk . Celebrating the nuance of a neighborhood is a core value of my work. As eccentric city centers become re-urbanized, longtime locals are being pushed to the fringe, and often out of town. While people love to say “this place isn’t what it used to be” I find that perspective overlooks the significance of what and who still remain. Now, as Bed-Stuy resident, I want my imagery to celebrate the the undeniable influence of the community.

Melissa Saenz Gordon is a documentary street photographer based in Bed-Stuy. She began studying photography at 15 after attending the California State Summer School of the Arts; later helping to establish the photography program at the School of the Arts High School in San Francisco, her hometown. With a background in geography and urban studies, her imagery is rooted in monumentalizing the invisible landscape and celebrating community through film..